Overview

Administrators configure QMF so users can access the data sources needed to create queries, reports, and visual dashboards.

Generally, configuration tasks are performed by the Administrator from QMF Administrator component. The Administrator component consists of a variety of views, perspectives, and editors to facilitate the process. For description of the views, perspectives, and editors, see Perspectives, Views, and Editors in the Product overview help.

Configuring QMF can be divided into the following tasks:

  • Setting up repositories and connecting to the database

    This involves the following sub-tasks:
    • Defining the JDBC driver library
    • Configuring the repository storage
    • Creating the repository
    • Defining the connection to the database

  • Populating repositories with the data sources, workspaces, and environments that define how users interact with data and determine what is exposed to the users in the QMF User component.

    This involves the following sub-tasks:
    • Creating virtual data sources
    • Setting up workspaces
    • Creating entity relationship (ER) diagrams
    • Setting up environments

  • Setting permissions for accessing data

    This activity involves the following sub-task:
    • Assigning users and groups permission to use repository objects

  • Managing resources and usage

    QMF provides administrators with the capability to optimize usage by setting up and managing resource limits.

    Managing resources and usage involves the following tasks:
    • Setting up data source resource limits
    • Creating resource limits groups
    • Setting up group schedules
    • Assigning users to resource limits groups

After configuring QMF, the administrator creates a repository connection, which provides users with access to the data.

Using QMF for Workstation versus QMF for WebSphere to create the configuration

You can configure QMF for multiple users by using either the QMF for WebSphere® Administrator component or the QMF for Workstation Administrator component.

The method you choose to configure QMF is a matter of preference. The following diagrams illustrate both methods.

Figure 1. Using QMF for WebSphere to configure QMF for multiple users
Diagram illustrating the steps to configure the application on a web server

  1. Start QMF for WebSphere in your web browser.

  2. Using the Administrator component, complete the configuration steps for a shared configuration.

  3. Provide users with URL.

Figure 2. Using QMF for Workstation to configure QMF for multiple users
Diagram illustrating the steps to configure and deploy to a file server

  1. Using the Administrator component, configure QMF for Workstation on your workstation.

    The result of completing the configuration steps is an updated repositories.xml file and an updated .bi.jdbc.drivers file.

  2. Put the installer executable (or silent installation options file) on a shared file server and use the QMF for Workstation File > Export feature to export a settings.xml file with the repository connection and JDBC driver information to the shared file server.

    For information about creating a response file for a silent installation, see Creating a silent installation options file.

  3. Users access the shared directory in the file server and install QMF for Workstation by running the installer GUI or the silent installation.

    When users run the installer, the configuration data in the settings.xml is applied to the installed application. As a result, when users start QMF, they are connected to a repository and have access to the data sources as determined by the Administrator’s configuration.